2009 holiday card, kraft paper and rock band

My holiday card for 2009:




The card design was hand punched (I can't get enough of the tree punch.) The "snow" was created with two different bit sizes with the Japanese screw punch (it is also very awesome. I tracked it down at Lee Valley a few years ago.) and the eyelet in the top left corner was set using an eyelet setting tool that is way too easy and fun to use. The card is finished with a piece of hemp cord tied at the corner. I didn't have envelopes for the cards so I ended up re-using (environmentally friendly and economical!) some kraft paper (of which I have a lot from my many, many trips to The Paper Place) to make envelopes. I decided to try stamping with white ink and now I can't stop using white ink on kraft paper:


(This is why I make, like, 5 cards a year. It's so labour intensive. I need to come up with less complicated ideas.)

In non-craft related news (or the reason for why I haven't done any of the crafting I had planned for the holidays yet), I may or may not have spent upwards of 4 hours a day for 3 days straight playing Rock Band 1 and 2 (Rock Band 2 is so much easier! Classic rock and metal (metal!) are way too complicated.) on Wii. Despite the many hours of "band practice", I can't say that I've improved all that much in fake singing, fake guitar playing or fake drumming. Favourite fake instrument has got to be the drums though. They should have a fake keyboard. I think I would be better at that. At least the years of piano lessons should come in handy, right?

gifts

I made this snap coin purse (drafted the pattern myself! I love how the lining fabric is perfect for the outside fabric, especially since I bought it to contrast with another fabric. It has gold leaves! I also love the Denyse Schmidt County Fair fabric) for a friend and I got this gift in the exchange:


It's a Raffy! Sweet! I had been thinking about getting one. I love it when people know exactly what I want.

I also made a few new books for a friend to give as gifts.


It's so hard to be productive during the holidays.

unproductive

Meant to do a little crafting (gift-making catch-up) on Tuesday, but I got distracted by the delicious baked brie and cookies. It's hard to craft and eat at the same time. Priorities, you know.

Then I hopped over to the Dakota for the Basement Revue. Finally, some nice(r) photos of John K.

it's bigger on the inside!

Boo to the naysayers. I like the new logo. Tardis shaped initials! (Which is the best part, and better than the current logo. Boring!)

random stuff

Went to the workroom last night to get a fat quarter (or 20) to finish the straps of a dress I made on Labour Day. Time well spent (on both counts). I don't have a bias tape maker at home, so it took a lot less time to make my straps at the workroom. I can't tell you how amazing it is to use one. Ah.

I love using this cute cup to hold my thread.


I also made a new camera strap cover a few weeks ago (while having a Doctor Who marathon - on in the background) when I got tired of my Joel Dewberry woodgrain one. It's also a better fit. My old one kept slipping.


Liberty of London looks so happy.

Unrelated, I got this pocket watch necklace in Kyoto. Apparently it was made by some local artists who work at the store. It reminds me of a Time Lord's watch. Well, the back does anyway. I would like to be a Time Lord.

jetlagged

Back from Japan for 4 days now and I'm still jetlagged. What's up with that?

Anyway, I'm so lazy with uploading photos that it will probably take me years to get through all the photos I took (too many). So here are a few to start (mostly for Yaz's sake. Heh.)

Flight to Tokyo. Exciting. (Look at the cloudlets!)


In-flight entertainment! Look what I found:


Another for Yaz :-D


So many hydrangeas.

vintage handkerchiefs

A friend was cleaning out their linen closet and found these vintage handkerchiefs they bought at the Harbourfront Antique Market (used to be at Lower Spadina and Queens Quay) years ago. (Hm, I'm not sure how "vintage" some of them actually are, but they look pretty old vintage to me.)





Oh, now they're mine!

bag makeover

This is what I did over the weekend - I covered a pretty hideous looking bag (that I did not make) with some gingham fabric. I won't talk about how long it took me to do this because it took longer than it should have. I will say, though, that I did it by hand.


And how the bag looks now:



Gingham fabric, is there anything you can't do?

(All this for a flimsy plastic bag. At least it's reusable...?)

new skirt.

I've been wanting to make this skirt ever since I finished my last skirt. I finally got around to finishing it mid-May (and only got around to posting it now...)

As usual, I couldn't leave well enough alone. I added slash pockets to the original pattern with Kokka's Eiffel Tower fabric as the pocket lining and made a few small fabric covered buttons (using red-with-white-polka dot fabric I had left over from a previous project. Oh, and a button kit, because I don't actually know how to make buttons.) to use as details on the side of the left pocket.





Also: It's the matching skirt to this book!

welcome!

I finally got around to making the banner. Bought two sets of cups, saucers and plates at an antique store the other day. Now we can have afternoon tea at home in style!